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Harry Cooper
| continuity = Night of the Living Dead | image = | type = | gender = | base of operations = Parkville, Pennsylvania | known relatives = Helen Cooper (wife); Karen Cooper (daughter) | born = | died = December, 1967 A wall calendar inside the house indicates the date in which the events of the film take place. | 1st appearance = Night of the Living Dead (1968) | actor = Karl Hardman Tom Towles Greg Travis Joseph Pilato }} Harry Cooper was a supporting character featured in the 1968 horror film Night of the Living Dead, directed by George Romero. The character was played by Karl Hardman who was also one of the producers on the film. In 1990, special effects artist Tom Savini directed the first remake of Night of the Living Dead and cast Tom Towles in the part of Harry Cooper. In the 2006 film Night of the Living Dead 3D, the part of Harry Cooper was played by Greg Travis. The character was revived a fourth time for yet another remake, this one titled Night of the Living Dead: Origins 3D. The part of Harry Cooper was played by Joseph Pilato. Biography Original version Harry Cooper was a Pennsylvania business man and the husband of Helen Cooper and the father of young Karen Cooper. In 1967, the Coopers were traveling across the rural town of Parkville en route to Willard when they were set upon by a horde of flesh-eating zombies. The zombies managed to overturn the Coopers' car and one of them succeeded in biting Karen. The three of them managed to otherwise evade their attackers however and fled to a farmhouse more than a mile up the road. Harry had great difficulty dealing with the situation and had his wife and daughter hole up inside the cellar of the home. He placed Karen onto a door laid between two saw horses. He barricaded the door leading into the common areas and believed that remaining in the cellar presented the best solution for them to survive any further threats from zombies. Two more human survivors, locals named Tom and Judy came to the house and joined the Coopers in the cellar. Shortly thereafter, two more survivors Ben and Barbra arrived at the house, having only barely escaped death at the hands of even more zombies. Harry kept everyone in the cellar quiet as Ben and Barbra dealt with everything upstairs. He heard Barbra's screams of panic as well as Ben's labor at boarding up the doors and windows, but ignored them. Finally however, he made his way upstairs. Ben was furious that Harry had been squatting in the cellar for so long without even considering coming up to help them. He felt that their efforts to board up the doors and windows were ridiculous and that the only safe recourse was to stay in the basement. Ben believed this was a foolish strategy as it would allow them no exit strategy should the zombies break through the door. Harry was belligerent and stubborn and refused to yield to Ben's logic. Ben thought that Harry was being "stupid" and felt sorry for his ill daughter for having to suffer due to his actions. When the zombies began surrounding the house and pounding on the doors and window, Harry refused to lift a finger to help them. Eventually, Ben came up with a plan, which involved getting gas from a nearby shed to fuel an abandoned pick-up truck. To cover their escape, he wanted Harry to light Molotov cocktails and throw them out of an upstairs window at the zombies. Harry did so, and the zombies recoiled from the flames, giving Ben, Tom and Judy enough time to reach the shed. Their plan however, ultimately failed and cost Tom and Judy their lives. Ben returned to the house, but the front door was re-boarded up. Harry, terrified at this point, was either unable or unwilling to pry open the boards to let Ben in. Ben managed to force his way inside and the two re-secured the door. Afterward, Ben took his frustration out on Harry by punching him repeatedly across the face. Despite their efforts, the zombies continued to grow in number and the barricades set up around the house began to weaken. In order to reinforce one of the windows, Ben had to drop his Winchester. Harry took the opportunity to scoop up the gun for himself and threatened to shoot Ben. Ben grappled with him and managed to get the gun back. At which point, he shot Harry in the shoulder. In pain and losing blood, Harry stumbled back down into the cellar. He collapsed next to the makeshift table upon which his daughter was lying. By this point, Karen Cooper succumbed to her infectious zombie bite and became one of the undead herself. She attacked her father, biting him across the throat until he died. Ben came downstairs a few minutes later just as Harry began to rise. He shot him in the head, ending his existence once and for all. Notes & Trivia * In one of the earlier script treatments, 's last name was Tinsdale. * Marilyn Eastman, who played Harry Cooper's wife Helen in the original film was also actor Karl Hardman's business partner and one of the producers on Night of the Living Dead. * Kyra Schon, who played Harry Cooper's undead daughter Karen in Night of the Living Dead is actor/producer Karl Hardman's actual daughter in real life. * Tom Towles, who played the second iteration of Harry Cooper, has also appeared in the films of director/musician Rob Zombie, specifically, Halloween, House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects. External Links * References ---- Category:1967 character deaths Category:Zombies Category:Characters who are killed by zombies